In McIntosh's gripping third 15th-century historical featuring Scotsman Gil Cunningham (after 2005's The Nicholas Feast ), the young lawyer-to-be finds himself in the middle of a murder inquiry when a Glasgow merchant friend, Augie Morison, discovers a severed head in a barrel that should have contained books. When Morison is accused of the murder, the amateur sleuth, aided by his future father-in-law, Master Pierre, seeks to identify the victim, as well as the source of the valuable jewels that were also concealed in the barrel. The pair cross paths with a variety of Scottish nobles, even as a bloodthirsty hit man known simply as the Axeman piles up an impressive body count that silences a number of potential witnesses. While the prime mover behind the crimes will be obvious to many, McIntosh's characterizations and period detail are first-rate and bode well for future entries in this series. (July)